2014 Year in Review: September Edition

Patriots Struggle to Start Season; Start 2-2

Sep 29, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) and wide receiver Matthew Slater (18) watch the game on the sidelines during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won 41-14. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

For the first time in a long time the 2014 New England Patriots started off the season not looking as sharp as they usually do, and their inconsistency early on scared many fans across the New England region. Starting off with their first game in Miami where they dropped their first game of the season 33-20, Tom Brady was pressured throughout the day by the Dolphins defensive line that included Cameron Wake who registered 2 sacks on the New England QB. The Patriots then moved on to Minnesota and faced the Vikings who were missing Adrian Peterson after being indicted for child abuse, as a result the Patriots teed off on Minnesota and defeating them 30-7. When Derek Carr and the Oakland Raiders invaded Foxboro few thought that they could actually compete with the Patriots, but throughout the day the Patriots offense could not get in a rhythm due to pressure caused by the Raiders defensive line. The Patriots were barely able to squeak out a victory against the Raiders, defeating them 16-9 and improving to 2-1 although many fans and analysts thought that was a fallacious record. Next up was a game on Monday Night Football where nobody in New England will soon forget. The Chiefs thrashed the Patriots, in a night where Tom Brady only went 14/23, where Stevan Ridley carried the ball 28 total yards, and a night where Justin Houston and the defensive line for the Chiefs caused havoc on Tom Brady. That loss was so demoralizing that fans were calling into radio stations demanding that Brady be traded and backup Jimmy Garoppolo should be promoted to starting QB. After the beating the Patriots took, head coach Bill Belichick took the podium to answer questions and in what was almost a comical press conference he kept repeating the same statement over and over like he was reading from a prompter: “We’re on to Cincinnati”. The lack of confidence radiating from New England was something that Patriot fans haven’t seen in a LONG time, but after those first four games they were questioning whether this team was even good enough to beat a team like Cincinnati. Little did we know the Patriots came out the next week and showed that they were not going away quietly, and it has been smooth sailing for the Patriots ever since.